Railway turn-table



(No Model.)

" D. H. ANDREWS.

RAILWAY TURN TABLE.

No. 333,912. Pafnenmd Jan. 5, 1886.

Jar/(La? fl ndremr.

Z 7 a l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HERBERT ANDREWS, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY TU RN-TABLE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,912, dated January 5, 1886. Application filed November 13, 1885. Serial No.18'2,GS4. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID HERBERT AN- DREWs, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have 5 invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Turn-Tables; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top View, Fig. 2 avertical and longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a vertical and transverse section,of the middle portion of a turn-table provided with my-invention, the nature of which is defined in the claims hereinafter presented. The plane of section of Fig. 2 is on line 1 1 of Fig. 1, while that of Fig. 3 is on line 2 2 of such Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of such turn-table with its track-bearing Wheels. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the supporting-brackets of each of the said track-bearing wheels. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of one of such wheels, its pair of supporting-brackets, its shaft, and means or mechanism for adjustment of the latter, as hereinafter explained. Fig. 7 is a side view of one of the plates on shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the circular range of screw-holes 0 of such plate being represented in such Fig. 7.

This turn-table, as usual in tables of this class, is composed of two metallic beams or girders, A, arranged parallel to each other and horizontally, and at a suitable distance apart, and of cross-ties or connections B and diagonal braces O, the said beams or girders in practice having railway-rails fixed on their upper surfaces throughout their lengths.

Above the cross-ties or connections B, and extending over them and supported by screwbolts a going up through them, and provided with nuts 8, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) is a saddle, D, which is a metallic plate channeled on its under side and across it to bear upon a cylinder, E, resting in a bearing, F, which is supported on a circular plate, G. The said plate G is circularly grooved on its lower face to receive a series of conic frusta, a, that in turn rest in' the grooves of another such plate, I, supported on the top of a standard, K. The table in turning laterally revolves on the said conic frusta. The cylinder E at one end is keyed to the saddle D, and at the other end to the bearing F, the two keys being shown at a and bin Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that when the turn-table is tilted it moves on the cylinder E, and at the same time in tilting one way produces a slight twist of the cylinder, the produced torsion strain operating subsequently to tilt the table the opposite way or bring it to a horizontal position. From the above it will be seen that the cylinder not only constitutes a bearing on which the table can tilt, as it becomes necessary that it should a very little in practice, but serves as a spring to restore it to its normal or horizontal position. The object of allowing the table to so tilt or tip is to enable a locomotive or car' when upon it to substantially balance the table in a manner to raise its end bearing-wheels off, or to cause them to bear with little, if any, pressure on their supporting circular rail, the weight of the table and its load being then borne on the comic frusta.

\Vhen a turn-table is unprovided with any means of restoring it to a level position, it usually becomes depressed at one end more than at the other, and is thereby at one end raised somewhat above the railway-track next adjacent to such end. On a locomotive or car entering upon the table at its so raised end, not only is there produced a sudden shock and the table forced forward lengthwise, but

downward, so as to cause the bearingwheel to descend with force upon its circular track-rail, such results tending to materially damage the table. WVith my improvements the table, when without a load, can be preserved in its normal position, or with the tops of its rails even with those of the track leading to such table. Should there be anytendency of the table to incline out of its normal position, such can be obviated by means of the bolts and nuts by which the saddle is sustained.

In practice it has been found that from various causes it becomes necessary to have each of the end bearing-wheels of the turn table provided with some means of rendering it capable of being vertically adjustable relatively to the table. Most if not all such means employed before my invention have been objectionable,on account of their inability to properly resist the shocks incident to the action of the table. With my improved means of sup porting each wheel it can be adjusted, and is rendered able to successfuly resist the shocks tending to its displacement or that of its supports.

In Fig. 4 the beam or girder A is represented as provided with two end supportingwheels, L, one near each end of it. Each of these wheels revolves freely upon a short cylindrical shaft, M, extending axially through its hub, as shown in Fig. 6. This shaft has projecting from each of its opposite ends a journal, i, arranged eccentrically relatively to the end of the shaft. These journals extend through and are keyed to two circular plates, is, that, as shown in Fig; 6, are fixed by screws Zto two other plates, m, which, arranged as shown, are bolted to two brackets, 12, extend- :ing laterally from the beam A and parallel to each other. Within each plate m isa circular range of screw-holes, 0, such holes being disposed at equal distances apart and each being screw-threaded to receive and fit one of the screws Z. A side view of one of the plates m is shown in Fig. 5,and also in Fig. 7. It will be seen from the above that by unscrewing the screws Z and revolving the plates 70 more or less the wheel L may be either raised or depressed to the necessary extent, it being subsequently held firmly in position by screwing up the screws Z into the screw-holes 0 in which they may happen to be in alignment.

To enable the median bearings of the turntable to be lubricated as occasion may require, a hole or passage, r, extends down through the saddle and the parts E, F, and G beneath it. On pouring oil into such hole, lubrication of the bearing-surfaces of such parts will follow.

Instead of having the circular range of screwholes in a plate m, fixed to the bracket by means of screws, such holes may be in the bracket itself; but for good reasons it is better to have them in the plates separable from and fastened to the bracket.

I claim- 1. The turn-table provided at its middle with the saddle D and bearing-plate F, and with the cylinder E, extending between them and keyed or fastened at one end to the saddle and at the other to the said plate, all being substantially as set forth.

2. The turn-table provided with the saddle D and its supporting screw bolts and nuts, and with the cylinder E,arranged between and in such saddle and the bearing-plate F, and keyed or fastened at one end to the saddle and at the other to the said bearing-plate, all being substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as described, for effecting the vertical adjustment of each end wheel of the turn-table, such combination consisting of the shaft M, having ec centric journals, the circular plates keyed to such journals and provided with screws, as described, to engage with circular ranges of screw-holes in the wheel-supporting brackets or circular plates fixed thereto, all being essentially as represented.

DAVID HERBERT ANDREWS. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, R. B. TORREY. 

